Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 280 - 116: Taking a Boat
"Xiao Bao, I’m going to check if your mother’s meal is ready, you stay here." Mr. Gu stood up and walked towards the kitchen.
"Huh?" Gu Chengyu knew this was his father trying to leave the room for the two to have some private conversation, but why leave him there? What’s the big deal in their own home? Sun Xian is a gentleman; it’s not like he’s going to do anything to his second sister.
There was no other choice, so Gu Chengyu sensibly sat in a corner of the room. He was already brighter than a Luminous Pearl; if he sat in the middle and got in the way, wouldn’t that be bad?
"Wan’er, when you reach your coming-of-age ceremony, I’ll be going to the Capital. This is for you, consider it a gift in advance." Sun Xian steadied his mind and took out a hairpin from his embrace. This was the coming-of-age gift he was giving to Gu Wan.
Eh? Gu Chengyu quickly glanced over and saw it was a golden jade hairpin. The openwork carving on the head of the hairpin was nicely done, and the body of the pin wasn’t slender, looking worth at least over thirty taels of silver.
Seeing this, Gu Chengyu felt reassured. It seemed Brother Sun was very considerate towards his second sister. Although the hairpin wasn’t particularly valuable, it was evident that Sun Xian put thought into choosing it, very fitting for Gu Wan’s temperament.
Gu Chengyu thought of his own gift; he had prepared a set of pearl hair accessories for Gu Wan. Each pearl was round and the size of a thumbnail. This was custom-made in the Prefecture for Gu Wan, with some gemstones inlaid, looking very luxurious. The Shopkeeper in that shop even pleaded with Gu Chengyu to sell the remaining pearls to him, but Gu Chengyu didn’t sell them; he wasn’t lacking in money.
The other large pearls, Gu Chengyu didn’t take out; those were reserved for gifting once Gu Wan got married.
"Thank you, Brother Sun!" Gu Wan glanced at Sun Xian before shyly accepting it.
Seeing Gu Wan take the hairpin, Sun Xian’s face lit up with a smile.
However, he then nervously looked at Gu Wan. He was uncertain about the Provincial Examination this time, fearing he might not pass and the Gu Family would look down on him. After all, the Gu Family had chosen him initially because of his abilities.
"Wan’er, if I don’t pass the examination and become a scholar, will you still marry me?"
"You fool! What are you saying? Marriage is decided by parental consent and matchmaker’s words since ancient times. Since we are already betrothed, we are destined to be together. Why think so much?" Gu Wan scolded Sun Xian with a glance, slightly annoyed. This fool, how could he ask her such a thing? Wasn’t she almost already a member of the Sun Family?
Sun Xian understood the underlying message and immediately beamed with joy.
In Gu Chengyu’s opinion, that smile was ridiculously silly. Gu Chengyu almost couldn’t stand listening anymore. No wonder they say people in love have zero IQ. You’re already betrothed; if she doesn’t marry you, who else would she marry? Women in ancient times couldn’t easily break off an engagement.
Just then, Mr. Gu came in from outside. Gu Chengyu, having been force-fed this display of affection, was glad he no longer had to act as the Luminous Pearl.
After having dinner at the Gu Family, Sun Xian didn’t stay overnight. He needed to go back to help his mother with pickling vegetables. While the village women could help wash the vegetables, the pickling process required a secret recipe. Otherwise, how could his mother make it so tasty? So, he had to go back and help, especially since his mother wasn’t in good health.
The setting sun painted the water, half green, half red. The afterglow spread across the river, sparkling under the sunlight. Gu Chengyu, feeling refreshed by the river breeze, watched the half green, half red river.
This was his first time on a boat in the Dayan Dynasty. He discovered that his seasickness from his past life hadn’t carried over to this one. Perhaps it was the spiritual spring water that modified his body, or maybe this body wasn’t prone to seasickness. In any case, he’d been on the boat for two days without any discomfort.
"Ugh!" He hadn’t finished marveling when he heard a retching sound beside him.
There was no helping it, just because he wasn’t seasick didn’t mean others weren’t. The sound came from nearby, and the person was Ye Zhiqiu.
"Chengyu! Are you sure this Clear Heart Pill you provided is effective?" Sun Xian helplessly asked as he watched Ye Zhiqiu, who could only vomit acidic water after getting all the food out of his stomach.
Ye Zhiqiu hadn’t eaten anything since last night, and by now, any food in his stomach had long since been vomited out.
"Of course it works, but Brother Ye just took it; it needs time to take effect, doesn’t it? Even miracle pills don’t work that fast!" The Clear Heart Pill was something Gu Chengyu had prepared for himself, fearing he might still be seasick. He’d crafted it while referring to books, stored within his space.
However, it was his first time experimenting, and he wasn’t sure if it was successful. He wasn’t seasick this time around, and hadn’t found anyone to test it beforehand, so he was honestly a bit uncertain.
Ye Zhiqiu only started showing symptoms last night. Last night and during the day today, they were mild; everyone thought resting would suffice, but it had worsened by then.
Gu Chengyu observed that since the pill was just taken, they would have to wait until tomorrow to see its effect. He had some confidence in his medicine, believing it should be effective.
They were on a large boat dedicated to carrying passengers, which only stopped three times after setting sail, docking at three harbors to allow passengers to disembark and resupply.
It would take at least half a month or even twenty days for the boat to reach the Capital. Gu Chengyu calculated that, with favorable winds and smooth passage, they should arrive in Capital around the tenth of July. The Autumn Examination was in August, with the first session on the ninth of August, leaving about a month to prepare, which should be enough.
Of course, that was assuming no unexpected incidents occurred. What constituted unexpected incidents? Well, that was unforeseeable. If there were strong winds on the river, the boat would have to slow down or dock at a harbor to avoid the winds, delaying the journey. The former situation could even pose a life-threatening risk — sinking the boat.
The river also had the notorious River Bandits, though the river was wide and encounters weren’t guaranteed. Moreover, the stewards of these large boats generally paid off these bandits, but there could always be exceptions, couldn’t there? He wasn’t too worried; with Ming Mo and Ming Yan, protecting Ye Zhiqiu and Sun Xian would be easy, but saving an entire boat’s passengers would be challenging.
Just as Gu Chengyu was lost in thought, Ye Zhiqiu finally stopped vomiting. Ming Mo and Sun Xian helped Ye Zhiqiu back into the room. Gu Chengyu glanced at the sky — it had already darkened. The wind on the river in the evening was quite chilly; it was better to return to the room early.
The boat was indeed large, with three floors, all rooms, and a lower deck where the crew stayed and paddled. A smaller boat was towed by a rope behind the large one, used for luggage and cargo.
Gu Chengyu entered the second room on the second floor; he and Ming Mo were sharing one room. The boat’s rooms were in high demand; they had booked late and only managed to secure two rooms. Although there were only two rooms, the boat charged by headcount. Nevertheless, both rooms were quite spacious, though Ye Zhiqiu and Sun Xian found it a bit pricey — eight taels of silver per person!
Gu Chengyu and his companions ate dinner and retired for the night. The boat rocked gently, and with it being nighttime, visibility was poor, so they could only go to bed early.
The next day, Ye Zhiqiu was indeed much better, confirming to Gu Chengyu that his medicine was effective.
